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ITSMF celebrates its sixteenth year
The group is dedicated to advancing the careers of IT professionals of color
This high-powered network of top IT folks supports one another and mentors rising stars
 The Information Technology Senior Management Forum (ITSMF, itsmfonline.org) marked its sixteenth anniversary this August. The group held its third-quarter symposium in Baltimore, in conjunction with the national BDPA technology conference.
ITSMF began as an informal group of African American CIOs who met to support each other and advise aspiring middle-management IT pros on how to make it to the executive level.
Today's ITSMF has grown significantly, says its former president Zackarie Lemelle. The  organization's informal mentoring has evolved into a structured, year-long executive protégé program that pairs ITSMF members with mid-level managers.
Sixty members attended the Baltimore symposium, Lemelle reports, and thirty-six new members have joined the group this year. "I think we are really beginning to realize the power of what we can do for each other."
ITSMF has been closely allied with BDPA since the beginning. At recent national BDPA conferences, ITSMF members organized sessions  for conference attendees. This year, ITSMF session topics included cybersecurity, professional networking and new technical developments impacting the practice of IT.
Diversity/Careers has covered ITSMF for many years, and editor Kate Colborn and sales director Jordan Weiss were guests at the third-quarter symposium opening reception, where these photos were taken.
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